Diane Hoffman, Folsom Elementary School
Atlantic County
Bog Turtle
Hi, I'm Bob the Bog Turtle. The scientists call me the Clemmys muhlenbergii. I live in swampy and wet lands. Surprisingly my species doesn't swim very well. If we're forced we'll drown under the water. Also we are very tiny. Out shells are as tiny as 10-15 centimeters.
As you know, everyone eats. You'll probably think what I eat is disgusting, but it keeps me alive. I eat bugs, snails, worms, and sometime frogs or salamanders. Did you know that I'm an omnivore? That means I eat animals and plants. The plants I eat are berries, seeds, leaves, and sometimes carrion.
Do you know how your mom and dad have a baby? Well, my mom has babies too. She gives birth in late April through early June, mostly in sunny areas. She can gave from 2 to 5 babies but usually only 2 or 3. Your mom gives birth to live young but my mom, she lays eggs. After she lays the eggs she buries them. She leaves them and lets them incubate by the sun's warmth. The babies hatch and live on their own.
You guys get protections from your parents and metal armor. Right? Well, I don't need either of them to protect me because I have a shell and live on private lands. My shell helps me to be protected because it's really hard and the predators can't eat me. Also 90% of our land is private and that protects me because nobody's there to eat me.
I'm a threatened species! People are mean to me because they ruin our lands and keep us as pets. That's why my species is threatened. Those people shouldn't ruin our lands or keep us because we eat those nasty bugs for you. So you can help us and we will help you!
Diane Hoffman
Folsom Elementary School
Folsom, NJ
Mrs. Passalaqua